The common methods for the construction create a huge variety of buildings where everybody can choose from according to their preferences and economic resources, but most important, this growing population now demands safer buildings because of extreme weather and/or natural forces. These events are a constant hazard to people's safety inside some kinds of buildings however, the requirements of strength are not enough, the interest in green buildings has grown over the past few years as well as developing new materials and techniques of construction that are safe, fast and eco friendly.
Typically the construction of buildings is a time consuming task, but the use of prefabricated elements reduces the times in construction, achieving lower costs however, wooden elements which are the most used do not fulfill the requirements of safety in every way. As technology develops over time, improvements in forming systems and insulation materials increased the easy and appeal of using removable forms for constructions, nowadays there are different kinds of building construction methods such as pre-fabricated and modular buildings using pre-cast or cast-in-place concrete elements. These constructions are stronger in most cases than their wood counterpart and they reduce to a minimum the need for timber. Their thermal property together with appropriate insulation makes concrete structures quite energy efficient furthermore, different kinds of finishes can be applied to the interior or exterior, giving to said constructions a more friendly appearance; however Portland cement which is the most common type of cement used throughout the world is far from being a green material, but cement substitutes and concrete alternatives are now available to assist in making concrete a truly green material, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of concrete without sacrificing their commitment to the environment.